Every side quest might unlock a new map

In games

Games have main quests and side quests.

Main quests drive the story. Side quests seem optional. Deliver a letter for an NPC. Find a lost cat. Investigate a strange noise.

But sometimes, side quests surprise you.

That delivery quest unlocked a hidden shop. The cat’s owner gave you a rare item. The strange noise was actually the entrance to a secret level.

You can skip them. The game is still beatable.

But if you do them, the game becomes more interesting. You get more equipment to choose from. More maps to explore. More stories to experience.

The problem is, you don’t know what you’ll get until you unlock it.

You only find out by doing it.

In reality

Reality is the same. Side quests are everywhere.

Go to that meetup. Write that article. Build that small project. Learn that “useless” skill.

Most people only do the main quest. School, job, money, family. That’s reasonable. The main quest is what matters.

But life isn’t just the main quest.

Write your first book, and you learn how to write books. Build your first product, and you understand what makes other products good. Meet one person, and they introduce you to others. Visit that place, and you discover if you like it.

Everything could open a door. But you have to do the thing first.

We complain about lacking opportunities or serendipity. Truth is, we’re too utilitarian. We only do “useful” things. Only learn “profitable” skills. Only go to “necessary” places.

The value of side quests isn’t in how much money they make, but in how many possibilities they unlock.

Learning to draw won’t make you a painter, but it changes how you see the world. Writing posts might not get readers, but it makes you think more clearly. That “waste of time” hobby could become your direction for the next decade.

Every side quest might unlock a new map.

Player notes

I’ve noticed that many choices I have now came from side quests I did before.

Learning Japanese was just out of interest. The Japanese learning app was only to prep for interviews, to prove I “liked programming.” I didn’t expect the app to get users, and years later, start generating passive income.

With passive income, I could quit my job without rushing to find the next one. Without work, I had time—to write, to explore, to do more side quests.

It’s all a chain reaction. Each step unlocked the next.

Now I can live off my own work. I don’t have to think about employment. I’m not tied to any location. I can live in any country I want, work whenever I want. This freedom started from the seemingly useless side quest of “learning Japanese.”

Learning Japanese helped me understand the pain points of Japanese learners. Programming let me turn ideas into products. Two skills combined, opening a path that didn’t exist before.

If I had only thought “will this make money” or “will this help my career,” I wouldn’t have learned Japanese, wouldn’t have built the app, and wouldn’t have the choices I have now.

I’m grateful to my past self for spending time on these seemingly useless things. Similarly, if my current self works hard on certain things, I might unlock new options for my future self.

Just like when I started learning Japanese, I had no idea what it would change. Writing this book, continuing to learn new skills, meeting new people—any of these might open a door in the future.

Do nothing, and nothing happens. Do something, and you unlock new choices for your future self.

Leveling tips

□ List 3 things you’ve always wanted to do but thought were “useless,” pick one to start
□ Actually finish your current project, don’t stay at 80% forever
□ Actively meet people from different fields, each person is a potential door
□ Record the unexpected rewards from things you’ve done, remind yourself of side quests’ value
□ Don’t calculate ROI too much, some of the best opportunities come from the most unexpected places